QUOTABLE: “Children laughed and grown men cried. How ‘bout them dogs!” – famous writer and Georgia alum Lewis Grizzard, following the Bulldogs’ win in the 1981 Sugar Bowl for a national title.

Columbia, S.C.

POPULATION: 133,358

SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS

ENROLLMENT: 32,027

STADIUM: Williams-Brice Stadium (capacity 80,250), built in 1934.

ON CAMPUS: The Horseshoe is the historic section of the original campus, which dates back more than 200 years. Some of the state’s oldest buildings are located along this U-shaped path.

AROUND TOWN: The State House. Construction dates back to the 1850s. There is a monument at the site of the old State House, which was burned by William Sherman’s Union troops in 1865.

FOODIE? Get the best fried chicken in town at Bernie’s Restaurant.

BEST TAILGATE SPOT: Cockaboose Railroad is a line of 30-by-9-foot immovable railroad cars with a rooftop deck. But they are about $250,000 apiece. For the rest, the old Farmer’s Market, now called Gamecock Park, is a favorite pregame spot.

GAME TRADITIONS: For more than 30 years, the Gamecocks have entered the stadium to the slowly building theme song of “2001: A Space Odyssey.”

MAKE SURE YOU WEAR: Garnet and black.

EVERY TRUE FAN KNOWS: Cocky, the South Carolina mascot, appears from his magic black box during the pregame introduction. His appearance in smoke always revs up the home crowd.

BUCKET LIST GAME TO SEE: South Carolina vs. Georgia

QUOTABLE: “At South Carolina, our fans realize there’s more to life than winning the SEC championship. We have a state championship trophy.” – Steve Spurrier on the importance of beating rival Clemson.

View during the first quarter at Neyland Stadium during the game between Tennessee and Oklahoma on Sept. 12, 2015.(Photo: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports)

Knoxville, Tenn.

POPULATION: 183,270

TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS

ENROLLMENT: 27,845

STADIUM: Neyland Stadium (capacity 102,455), built in 1921

ON CAMPUS: The Rock, a large stone located at the corner of Volunteer Boulevard and Pat Head Summitt Street. Various artists routinely paint creative messages on The Rock to the Vols, their opponents or anything on the mind of the student body.

AROUND TOWN: Knoxville’s Sunsphere, built for the 1982 World’s Fair. It’s the defining image of the city’s skyline and was once referenced in an episode of "The Simpsons."

FOODIE? You must eat at Stock & Barrel, known for its delicious burgers, located on Knoxville’s famous Market Square.

BEST TAILGATE SPOT: Right on the Tennessee River. That’s where the Vol Navy meets before the Volunteers play for some tailgating with a view.

GAME TRADITIONS: Be in your seat in time to watch the Vols run through the ‘T’ formed by the Pride of the Southland marching band. Fans also line the street for the Vol Walk as the team enters the stadium.

MAKE SURE YOU WEAR: Orange and bring your Peyton Manning jersey

EVERY TRUE FAN KNOWS: The verses to “Rocky Top,” the school’s unofficial fight song — not just the chorus.

QUOTABLE: “Neyland Stadium to me was my favorite stadium to play in in the SEC. It reminded me of The Coliseum in Rome. It's very vertical. Everybody just felt like they were on top of you. It was incredibly loud. Incredibly hard to communicate. It's a beautiful building. It's right by the water.” — former Florida quarterback Jesse Palmer

Vanderbilt Stadium(Photo: Vanderbilt)

Nashville, Tenn.

POPULATION: 659,042

VANDERBILT COMMODORES

ENROLLMENT: 11,815

STADIUM: Vanderbilt Stadium (capacity 40,550), built in 1981. Dudley Field, the site of the current stadium, dedicated in 1922.

ON CAMPUS: Kirkland Hall. The site of the university’s original building, which was struck by a fire in 1905. The brick structure has the look of a historical high-academic southern university.

AROUND TOWN: Anything to do with country music, including the Grand Ole Opry, Ryman Auditorium, Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum, Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge and RCA Studio B.

FOODIE? Go to nearby Rotier’s Restaurant for its signature French bread cheeseburger.

BEST TAILGATE SPOT: Vandyville, just outside the stadium. It’s family friendly and growing in size each year.

QUOTABLE: “I am still convinced that outside Yale and Princeton, the Commodores would have an even break with any other team in the country. That is a great deal for Vanderbilt and for the entire South.” — Georgia Tech coach John Heisman, namesake of the Heisman Trophy, after Vanderbilt beat the famed Carlisle Indian School in 1906.

BEST TAILGATE SPOT: For those who can afford it, Kentucky opens its 1865 Club in fall 2016, offering luxury tailgating suites just outside the stadium. The rest is spread out, but the tailgating is better in lots closer to the stadium.

GAME TRADITIONS: Fans line up outside Gate 1 about two hours before kickoff for the Cat Walk, welcoming players and coaches as they march into Commonwealth Stadium.

MAKE SURE YOU WEAR: A whole lot of blue for the Blue Mist fan base, and some white sprinkled in.

EVERY TRUE FAN KNOWS: The words to “My Old Kentucky Home,” which has been played at various times throughout home games for years.

QUOTABLE: “That was a good football team we played. What can you say after you get the devil kicked out of you?” – Joe Paterno, after his Penn State squad lost 22-6 to Kentucky at Commonwealth Stadium in 1976.

The Columns on the Francis Quad at the University of Missouri.(Photo: Dan Gill/AP)

Columbia, Mo.

POPULATION: 115,276

MISSOURI TIGERS

ENROLLMENT: 35,050

STADIUM: Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field (capacity 71,004), built in 1926.

ON CAMPUS: Ionic columns, the university’s symbols and the only six pieces remaining of Academic Hall, the first building erected on campus.

AROUND TOWN: MKT Trail or Rock Bridge Memorial State Park for outdoors lovers.

FOODIE? Shakespeare’s offers one of the best pizza and beer combinations in the SEC.

BEST TAILGATE SPOT: Fans are spread out quite a bit, but the most dedicated tailgaters congregate in Lot X along Stadium Boulevard.

GAME TRADITIONS: Tiger Walk before the game. And the band plays the “Missouri Waltz” between the third and fourth quarters, as fans stand and go into an arm-waving clap-along with the song.

MAKE SURE YOU WEAR: Black and gold, the colors of mascot Truman the Tiger.

EVERY TRUE FAN KNOWS: Missouri’s sideline always includes the Big MO brass drum and the ROTC cannon, which fires after every Tigers’ score.

BUCKET LIST GAME TO SEE: Missouri vs. Arkansas

QUOTABLE: “This was a win for all the fans that have been waiting for this for 20-something years. And it’s for all the players that played before us.” — Missouri linebacker James Kinney after upsetting Nebraska in 2003 to snap a 24-game losing streak in the series.